Art for hearts’ sake Introduction Some patients (and staff) can be turned off or scared off by the ‘A’ word. So sometimes this is about explaining that artisticness can take many forms; it’s not just about painting. Language is important here, too. ‘Creative Expression’ may go down better than ‘Art Therapy’. The key message to […]

TLC from the TLWs Introduction The role of ‘Therapeutic Liaison Worker’ (TLW) was originally created on Ashby Ward at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit in Leicester by Nic Higham, a Healthcare Support Worker. (Happily for Star Wards, Nic now works with us!) The unit recognised the need for a role on acute wards to help […]

PLEASE HELP US HELP MENTAL HEALTH WARDS

You might be wondering – what difference does Star Wards actually make to mental health wards? It’s a question we continuously ask ourselves, to make sure that we are having a positive impact. Well, we have over 800 wards signed up to receive our resources and, in the past, we have had Star Wards independently evaluated. A micro-summary of what our users have said is that wards who tried Star Wards ideas had:

Increased activities for patients in 88%

Increased patient satisfaction in 77%

Decrease in aggression in 60%

This is not about us, it is about people like you. These improvements are down to your hard work. And you can check our newsletters for wards doing amazing things right now. So we are told we do help you make a difference – and we want to get better and be here to help you in the future. So, join up, join in and let us know your wonderful ideas – and if you can donate to us or fundraise for us, we would be delighted to hear from you. Thank you for all you do.